An amended law that toughens penalties for female genital mutilation to up to 15 years in jail has come into effect, the health ministry announced Sunday. Health ministry officials will monitor and oversee clinics and private hospitals to enforce the anti-FGM law that came into effect last Tuesday, the ministry said in a statement.
The government had sent the bill to parliament on August 28, and lawmakers approved it days later. In Egypt, the partial or full removal of the external sex organs for no medical purposes, ostensibly to control women's sexuality, remains widespread, especially in rural areas.
The procedure, common in some parts of the African continent, is practised by both Muslims and Christians in Egypt. Under the new law, those convicted of carrying out female circumcision can now be jailed for between five and seven years, from three months and two years under the former law. If the procedure leads to permanent disability or death, the perpetrators could be jailed for up to 15 years.
The new law also calls for anyone who forces a female to undertake the procedure to be jailed for between one and three years, which could potentially apply to parents or family members.
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